Learning Support

At Dulwich we provide support for any pupils diagnosed with a learning difficulty. With four fully qualified, full-time teachers and one part-time teacher in the department, we work with boys across the age range and liaise with staff throughout the school.

We screen all pupils in Years 3, 7 and new pupils in 9 and the Remove for indications of special learning difficulties. Some are referred for further testing and, if necessary, for a more detailed diagnosis by an educational psychologist.

In the Junior School, the Learning Support teacher works with individual boys or with small groups who have a suspected or diagnosed learning difficulty, in order to help them to work to the best of their ability. Difficulties often arise from a short-term visual and auditory memory deficit, and the work is usually to help with the way these difficulties affect spelling, organisation, numeracy, creative writing and comprehension.

In the rest of the school the department works with individual boys with a learning difficulty who have been diagnosed in a report from an educational psychologist. Some boys have a recommendation to learn to touch-type and use a laptop in school: this helps with organising and planning extended writing, presentation, taking down notes in lessons and also with spelling.

Since there is no connection between learning difficulties and levels of intelligence, with the appropriate help and a carefully co-ordinated development strategy we aim to ensure that all boys, whatever their needs, are able to fulfil their academic potential and achieve high levels of excellence within the College.